Airsoft gas pistol care guide

This guide is intended to assist airsoft gun owners with maintaining, troubleshooting and repairing, gas airsoft hand gun replicas. Although I do plan to visit the subject of gas non blow back type airsoft pistols, the main focus of these articles will be on the gas blow back handgun types as they are much more commonly used by airsoft enthusiasts Across the U.S.A.

Optionally powered by Green Gas, Propane, HFC132A, HfC22, Red Gas or CO2 gas cartridges, todays gas airsoft pistols can propel a .20 gram, 6 millimeter airsoft BB at velocities exceeding (300-500 fps) foot per second. The gas blow back gun styles use the gas charge to drive the slide back and chamber the next round automatically, providing the same feel and effect as a real semi automatic hand gun when fired. Target shooters tend to like the realistic feel and weight of the full metal gun replicas. Accuracy and range of airsoft pistols can vary greatly between different manufacturer models and types. With proper care, maintenance and shooting conditions, most gas airsoft pistols will provide a very tight target pattern (2 inch groups) at 50 feet. Add in a few high performance airsoft upgrade parts and 75-100 foot accuracy becomes achievable.

Airsoft Gun Gas Mileage
How many shots per magazine fill, and how many magazines per can of gas will I be able to achieve?
A standard 1100 ML can of green gas can refill your magazines about 50 times. You will get 25-30 shots per magazine, depending on the size of the magazines and the build of your airsoft gun. (metal guns are heavier and must use a larger gas charge for each shot to drive the blow-back action of the slide).

When selecting a style of airsoft target sidearm your options are unlimited. There are WWII historic hand gun replicas and modern day military or police weapons available. Sci-Fi recreations and famous spaghetti western six shooters are available as well. A wide range of shooting accessories for each model can be found as well.  Prices vary from 60 to 600 dollars. Things to keep in mind when shopping for a new airsoft gas handgun....
Are replacement parts available for this pistol model?
Are spare magazines readily available and affordable?
What type of gas propellant does this gun use?
Is it available locally?
What material is it made of Metal or Plastic?
Can it be upgraded for performance?
  Always follow the manufacturers guidelines for propellant. Using the wrong type of gas can cause severe damage to YOU and your airsoft gun!

The first steps of maintaining your new gas airsoft hand gun?
 Take some time and get to know how to disassemble and properly clean your particular airsoft model. Airsoft gun manuals can provide some basic operating do's and don'ts. Taking some time now, to learn how to properly gas, load and maintain your magazines plus learning how to remove, clean and lubricate the slide assembly, inner barrel and magazine valves will save you money and maintenance time in the long run.

Did you know that gas airsoft guns will not work properly in temperatures below 45 degrees Farnheit? Rapid firing can have the exact same effect. Speed shooting several magazines back to back can chill your airsoft pistols internal parts below the recommended operating range and cause cold related malfunctions and misfires, even when it is a 90 degree day outside.

Extreme outdoor temperatures can cause gas in the magazine to expand up to three times the normal volume causing seals and valves to fail. Never leave charged airsoft pistol magazines or green gas containers in direct sunlight, THEY CAN EXPLODE. Take some time to learn how much gas charge in seconds, your magazines need to fire only the maximum number of bb's that can be loaded in the magazine at one time. This will not only save gas but will also help you avoid costly repair charges you may incur from over charging your airsoft gun magazines. Be sure and remove all but one bb from the magazine before storing your gun for extended periods. This will keep the magazine spring from becoming permanently compressed and loosing the tension needed to feed the bb's properly. Leaving a very small gas charge in your magazines during storage will help keep back pressure on the valves and O-rings. A drop of silicone oil on the valve O-rings will help lubricate and keep them from drying out and cracking or shrinking during extended storage periods.

Gas blowback airsoft guns vibrate hard with each shot fired. number 1, 2 and 3 above show some common screws that should be checked and tightened on a regular basis. Do not over tighten! One drop of Silicone airsoft gun oil should be applied at the locations shown above after each use. Clean your barrel after each use to maintain accuracy. Airsoft bb's will leave a residue in the barrel that if left to build up will create excessive jamming which can damage internal airsoft pistol parts.  In my next article we will look at some airsoft gas gun troubleshooting tips...

Armsdealer...OUT!!